Infant&#39;s or child&#39;s table and chair



Feb. 16, 1954 A. E. PULS ETAL INFANTS OR CHILDS TABLE AND CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1949 INVENTORS 1 ,4: i050 1 P049 BY fawma A". Suva/v50 Armneys v 1954 A. E. PULS ETAL INFANT"S 0R CHILD'S TABLE AND CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1949 ZZZ //2 INVENTOR5 441-1950;. P045 y 50mm A. Swewsou Arrar/vcys Patented Feb. 16, 1954 Alfred Puls, Cleveland, Ohio,

Swenson, Metropolis, Ill Tenda License Oorporati corporationof Delaware and Edward R. assignors to Babeson, Cleveland, Ohima Application May 10, 1949, Serial No. 92,261

12 Claims.

This invention relates to an infants or childs table and chair, especially to such an article of furniture which is provided with aremovable top portion'and which has a movable seat provided underneath the removable top.

Heretofore there have been several different types of combined infants tables and chairs provided many of which have: comprised .a flattop portion which has a hole formed in the center portion thereof and underneath which a seat is pivotally secured for receipt of an infant while being fed, playing or for other purposes. As such infants grow rapidly, it is difiicult to secure the infant tightly in'the suspended seat whereby he does not fall or bob around 'too'much in the chair or seat while being supported therein. Also, it is difficult to keep the table tops as clean as would.

be desired since food and other debris have a tendency to'accumulate'adjacent the edges of the table which. usually are positioned slightly below a supporting framethat surrounds the top.

The general object of the present invention is to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties with present types of juvenile furniture of the class referred to, and to provide an article of that type which is characterized by the ease of cleaning same and by the tightness and definiteness'of positioning an infant in the. combined tableand chair.

Another object of. the invention is to provide a support. carriage which slidably carries an infants chair whereby the carriage can be adjusted toia'dapt the seat for receiving varying size infants therein.

A further object oftheinvention is to provide a table'top'which is'separate from the remainder of the device of the class described and which can readily be engaged with or disengaged'from'the same;

A further object of the invention is to provide alock member for retaining a movable carriage ofa: combined infants table and chair in a'given position and which "can be readily and easily disengaged i therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to utilize the movable carriage both for supporting a seat in an article of the class described and for controlling the size of the opening for an infant to be positioned in the. seat.

The foregoing and other objects and advan- F tages of the invention will be made more. apparent as they specification proceeds.

For a betterunderstanding of the present invention, attention is'directed to the accompany.-

ing drawings, wherein:

" line 2'2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged detail showing a lock release member of the invention;

Fig. 4'is'a fragmentary Vertical section taken, on line 3-4 of Fig. 1;,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modification of the positioning means used to support a carriage frame on the frame of the chair;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of a modified lock device of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a modified type of lock device of the invention taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 8;

Figs. 8 and 9 are a transverse sectionand. a, plan, respectively, of the components of the lock device of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view, partially broken away and shown in section, of a modified type of infants tableand chair of the invention;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section of the seat back engaged with the table top;

Fig. 121s a fragmentary section on line l2| 2 of'Fig. 10; and

Fig. 13 is a view. similar to Fig. 11, of a modification of the invention.

The present device relates in general to the same kind of a,v structure as is shown and described in U; S. Patents 2,161,657, 2,161,658 and 2,483,062..

Attention is now directed to the details of the structure shown in the accompanying drawings wherein a combined infants or childs table and chair is indicated by the numeral 5. This article of furniture in general comprises a frame 2 which is formed from a plurality of substantially vertically extending side, or apron member suitably secured together in any desired manner. The frame 2 has a plurality of supports or legs 3 provided therefore which are in pivotal engagement with the fram 2 and which may have braces 4 pivotally associated therewith whereby the legs 3 can be retained in, a desired extended position with relation to the frame 2, or can be folded up compactly thereagainst. The frame 2 includes four side members. designated 5, t, l and 8 with certain of said sides, 5 and I usually being considered the front and rear sides of the frame and the sides 6 and 8 being the laterally opposed portions of the frame.

Fig; 2 of the drawing clearly shows, as one feature of the invention, that the sides 5 and 8 of the frame are both provided with a rabbeted inner edge so as to form support shoulders 9 and I0, respectively, thereon. A similar shoulder (not shown) is also provided on the front side member 5, whereas ordinarily the rear side member I is provided with a slot H that is formed in its upper inner surface for a purpose to be hereinafter described. By provision of the shoulders 9 and Hi and the slot H in the chair of the invention, it is possible to support a table top l2 on the chair of the invention in a removable manner. The shoulders 9 and It provide desirable and convenient support surfaces for the top 12 to which the top easily can be secured and from which the top can readily be removed. The shoulders 9 and It may extend slightly into the adjacent portions of the sides to form undercuts therein at local areas, as indicated at l3 and Hi, Fig. 2, so that the top 12 can be locked to the frame 2. Any suitable or desirable type of lock means may be used to secure the top 12 to the frame 2. In this instance, a plurality of locking plates l5 are pivotally secured to the under surface of the top 12 adjacent the side edges thereof by conventional devices, such as rivets is. These plates l5 can be swung into or out of engagement with the slots l3 and M, as desired.

As a special feature of the invention, a seat I! is pivotally supported from means that are positioned underneath the top l2 and are adjustably carried by the frame 2 for movement in a direction from front to rear of the chair I of the invention. This seat 11 is supported from hangers it which pivotally engage therewith and which engage with a support carriage IS. The carriage I9 is shown as comprising a pair of transversely extending rails and 2! which are connected by means of other rails 22 and 23 that extend in a direction from front to rear of the seat l1 whereby a unitary support carriage is provided for the seat l1. Normally the rails 22 and 23 lie immediately adjacent a hole or opening or well 24 which is provided in the top l2 for receipt of an infant therein. In some instances, the hole 24 may be formed in a shape of a recess which is formed at one edge portion of the top l2. In all events, the seat I! is supported underneath the hole 24 whereby a child or infant supported in the seat H can have the seat adjustably positioned with relation to the hole 24 as hereinafter pointed out. Thus the margins of the hole can aid in supporting the infant in the chair of the invention.

Usually conventional rail and track means are used to support the rail unit adjustably on the frame 2. In this instance, a plurality of longitudinally directed slots 25 are provided on the inner surfaces of the opposed sides 6 and a of the frame 2 and such slots 25 receive therein extension lugs 26 provided on and usually formed integrally with the rails 20 and 2|. Obviously the length of the slots 25 is correlated with the size of the hole 24 in a direction from front to rear of the table so that a desired adjustment of the seat and the exposed portion of the hole 24 can be effected.

Inasmuch as the means II are adjustably carried usually is desirable to supporting the seat by the frame '2, it provide means for locking the seat and its supporting means in a given position. Hence in this instance there is provided a locking plate 21 that is securedto the front side 5 of the frame 2 and extends rearwardly of the chair l. The locking plate 2'! is shown as extending through a little slot or recess 28 formed in the upper edge of the rail 2|. A locking stud 29 is secured in the bottom of the recess 28 and it is adapted to engage with the holes 32 formed in longitudinally spaced positions of the plate 21 so that the locking plate will be in fixed engagement with the seat support unit or carriage. Usually a little retainer bar 3! is provided across the upper portion of the slot 23 to retain the elongate locking plate 2'! in engagement therewith. The plate 21 normally is of slightly resilient construction and tends to bear upon the bottom portion of the recess 28, or upon the stud 2s. A desired release device may be provided for lifting the locking plate out of engagement with the stud 29 and is shown as a release arm 32 which is pivotally secured to the rail 2i adjacent and below the slot 28. The arm 32 has an engagement flange 33 provided thereon to facilitate grasping or pressing on such arm 3'2. Also, the arm 32 has a finger 34 extending therefrom to prevent the arm 32 from moving beyond the desired relationship with the bar 3! and for preventing the release bar from falling below such locking plate 2?, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a slight modification of the invention where an actual channeled track member 2| is provided on a side 42 of the frame of this form of the invention and such side 42 receives the top 43 of the chair whereas again, a transversely directed rail M is provided for supporting the seat unit of the invention on this device. In this instance, the ends of the rail 44' engage with the channeled track M for longitudinal movement thereon. When desired, the track 1H could be replaced by another equivalent device such as a pair of spaced parallel wood or metal strips which are secured to the side of the frame. Usually some kind of a stop means is associated with the ends of the track to limit movement of the chair means of the invention. A stop plate 45 is shown in Fig. 5 for limiting movement of the rail 44.

It will be realized that mounting means shown in the present device may readily be used to support the carriage support unit. That is, a T shaped element could be secured to the side of the frame with one le extending inwardly thereof and then this inwardly extending portion of the T member could be received in a groove out in the end of the rail of the invention.

While the use of a plurality of rabbeted edges if shown for mounting the top plate of the chair unit, in combination with one grooved side portion, it will be appreciated that all four parts of the frame could be provided with rabbeted edges, or shoulder portions for support of the top thereon. Likewise, in some instances, a pair of adjacent edges may have slots formed therein for receipt of the top. Preferably, all of the top edges would be provided with support shoulders thereon, since that simplifies cleaning the edges of the top and provides no crevices or cracks into which food or other dirt could ac-- cumulate and not easily be cleaned therein or removed therefrom.

Other types of support carriages than that shown may be used in place of the means disclosed and might even comprise one relatively wide rail that is at about the center, of the sides the reverse of the Y finger or' lug 68 extending thereinto.

inglug 68 is adapted to engage with any one of ofthee seat andhas an. offsetv portion that ex- I tends around. 1 thewhole- 24.

Fig. 61ShOWS a rail -I which is apart of a seat carriage. support andwhich has a. slot 5?. cut therefrom.- A look plate 53 extends through. the slot 52 and hasholes therein for engagement with a stud 54 that extends up into thev slot 52. A..release lever 55, like the arm 32, is usually again provided. to aid in disengaging the plate 53 andlstud 54.

In view of the foregoing, chair and seat device for wherein the sides of. the the chair-for receipt of an infant can easily be varied. This :adapts thechair to support an infantas it grows over a period of several years. Furthermore, the chair support means can be moved merely by release of one lock plate which can be reached from in under the chair without moving the top of the chair from its normal position. However, if desired, the top'oan be removed to expose the chair support means for adjustment action. Also, the top can be easily cleaned by removing same from the chair'of the invention. Thus the chair provides-a more secure and desirable support action for infants than does any kind of a fixed position chair. Furthermore, no safety factor is surrenderedby the adjustment action provided in the chair of the invention since the center of gravity stays nicely Within the chair at all times and the top and seat are in a desired fixed relation at any given time. Nor is any part of the mechanism exposed so that a child in the table cannot stick his fingers in the adjustable means or pinch them by accidental movement of the seat sup-. port. Hence it is submitted'that all. of the objects of the invention have been achieved and that a novel and desirable chair has been provided.

While several complete embodiments of the in:- vention are shown in Figs. 1 through dattention also is directed to the modified type of a lock arm as shown in Fig. 7, which includes a lock bar 6| which is secured in a conventional manner to a front apron bar 62 of a table and chair device similar to that shown in Fig. 1 of the invention. This lock bar GI preferably is of spring construction and is twisted upon its own longitudinal axis 90 adjacent the end thereof to facilitate-supporting same 62. The loolzbar 6! has a it will be seen that a infants is provided opening provided in plurality of notches 63 on the front apron member provided in the upper surface thereof and it extends through a slot t l that is provided in a carriage bar 65 that extends transversely of the seat device of the invention. In this slot 64 and over the front surface thereoffa metal plate 66 is secured. This metal plate 65 has aslot 6'! formed therein which has a locking The lock the recesses 63 formed in the lock bar GI so that the carriage bar 85 and seat means associated therewith can be fixedly secured in a specific or givenposition with relation to the mounting frame or carriage provided therefor. The lock bar 5! can of course be pressed down wardly to disengage it from the locking lug t t and permit longitudinal or sliding movement or" the carriage means provided in this device of the invention.

A particular feature the invention disclosed in Fig. 1c is that the carriage assembly of the invention is removahly secured to the remainder of the device;

alignment with of the modification of- In. this 1 It will be noted that usually extend longer depthwise' (from front to rear) of the device of the invention than do the slots 25 of the embodiment of theinvention of Fig. 1. This permits the movable carriage to be slid rearwardly of the device a sufiici'ent distance to I28-that is member "I 2|.

provided in the A special release portion I 25a provided on the slots I25 andextends upwardly of the side or apron 5 I6 the upper edge thereof. Thus the carriage rails I2!) and HI, which-have slight clearance in their positioning slots, can be swung upwardly into the offset-portions [25a to be released from the slots I on their ends received in the slots I 40. after the top I I 2 of the table and chair device is removed, at any desired time, the entire seat and carriage support provided therefor may be lifted up from the table. Release slots may be provided at both ends of the carriage rails, if desired.

Another feature of the table and chair of Fig. 10 is. that the lock bar I27 provided extends through the slot I28 in the carriage bar I2I and it is adapted to. engage-with a locking lug I29 that is provided. on a metallic platev 200 that may be suitably secured to thefront face of the carriage bar I2I. Usually the locking lug I29 is smaller than apertures or holes. I30 that are formed in the look .bar I 21 so thatsight clearance is provided between these two members to permit use of .same. without-extremely accurate positioning of these two relatively movable members- Yet another special feature of the invention shown in Figs. 10 and. 11 is that a top and back member 2M of the device is provided with rabheted sides 262 and 203.. These sides of the back. and cover member are adapted to engage with complementary shaped rabbetededge portions ZMand Zfisthat are IIZ at the opening I24 provided therein. Thus eventhough theunder structure-of the seat of the invention is completely removed from the device, still the back and the upper surface ofthe top to close the opening I2 5. Thefront and rear edgesof the back meme 2M may also he rabbetedv and engage. with corresponding portions of the top IIZ, if desired. The top I rear portion of the opening I 24 at the sides thereof-to facilitate receiving the top and back.

backand'cover. member 22I positioned inand 2 therein in these slots I25 and I40- disengage a lock bar I21 from a slot carriage bar or frame 25, being pivoted Thus 7 provided in the top cover. memberprovided can be supported in its position flush with I2 may be notchedat the.

filling the opening 224. A feature of the con struction is that the member 22! is supported on plates or angles 225 that are suitably se cured to the top 2l2 adjacent one or more pairs of opposed sides of the opening 224 and protruding into same. The angles 225 are secured to the undersurface of the top H2 and the member 22l is of such thickness that the upper surfaces of the top 2l2 and member 22! are flush. Downwardly extending legs 226 may be formed on the angles to avoid a sharp edge thereon in the exposed portions thereof. The angles 225 may be of suitable length and a plurality of spaced angles may be positioned on one edge of the opening 224. In some instances, it may be desired to position the angles 225 or plates, if used, pivotally on the top 2l2 so that they can be swung in under the top to be placed in inoperative positions.

While several complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modifications of these particular embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. An infants table and seat comprising an open centered frame, a top carried by said frame, said frame being rabbeted on a plurality of adjacent sides to form an inner ledge for support of said top thereon, pivotal bars on said top engageable with slots formed in said frame to secure said top thereto, said top having a hole formed therein for receipt of an infant, a seat for an infant, a plurality of transversely extending rails extending across said frame, means connecting with said rails to form a unit therefrom, longitudinally extending tracks on the sides of saidframe, the ends of said rails being engaged with said tracks for movement therealong to vary the position of said seat with relation to said opening, a longitudinally extending lock arm fixedly secured to said frame and extending in a direction of front to rear thereof, lock means carried by said unit for engagement with said lock arm to secure said unit in a given position, a pivotal release means carried by said unit and extending therefrom, said release means having a finger engageable with said lock arm for moving same and releasing said lock arm from said lock means.

2. An infants table and seat comprising a frame having at least a pair of rabbeted inner top edges on opposed sides thereof and a slot provided in another side thereof on the inner surface of such side, a top carried by the rabbeted edges of said frame, and being coextensive with said, frame, said top extending into said slot to be partially positioned thereby, said top having an opening formed therein, said top lying in a plane, a seat, carriage means supporting said seat under the opening in said top for access to said seat, and securing means carried by said to for removably securing said top to said frame, said top being movable in an upwardly directed vertical are a short distance about an edge thereof engaging said slot when said securing means are released and then being adapted to be disengaged completely from said frame by short movement of said table top in the plane defined thereby away from the table frame and chair.

3. An infants table and seat comprising a frame having sides thereon, a top carried by said frame and being coextensive therewith, said top having an opening formed therein for receipt of an infant therein, a seat, a plurality of transversely extending rails approximately the width of said frame, means connecting said rails together to form a unit therefrom, said unit supporting said seat under the opening in said top, cooperating track and rail-track engaging means being provided on said rails and on said frame sides, said track and rail-track engaging means permitting movement of said unit in a direction from front to rear of the table to vary the effective size of the opening in said top, and means for removably securing said top to said frame at a pair of opposed edges of same to permit removal of said top and access to said unit and said track and rail-track engaging means.

4. An infants table and chair comprising a substantially square frame, a top carried by said frame, said top having a hole formed therein for receipt of an infant therein, a seat for an infant, carriage means supporting said seat under the hole in said top, said carriage means extending the width of and being slidably carried by said frame for movement forwardly and rearwardly of same, and a removable back provided for said seat and adapted to fill the hole in said top, said top adjacent said hole being rabbeted to support said back on said top flush with the top surface thereof.

5. An infants table and seat as in claim 3 wherein means are provided for locking said seat and rail unit in a given position.

6. A table and seat as in claim 5 wherein said lock means comprise a lock bar extending in a direction from front to rear of said frame and secured thereto, lock means carried by one of said rails and adapted to engage with said lock bar to anchor said rail in a specific position, and a release finger pivotally carried by said rail and engageable with said lock bar to release same from engagement with said lock means.

7. A table and seat as in claim 5 wherein said lock means comprise an apertured lock plate secured to said frame and extending therefrom across one of said rails, and a lock stud secured to said rail and extending therefrom in engagement with one of said apertures in said plate to lock said unit in a given position.

8. A table and seat as in claim 5 wherein said lock means comprise an apertured lock plate secured to the front end of said frame and extending rearwardly of the chair, one of said rails having a slot therein receiving said lock plate, and means on said rail for securing said unit releasably to said lock plate.

9. An infants table and seat comprising a frame, a top carried by said frame, said top having an opening formed therein for receipt of an infant, a seat, a plurality of transversely extending rails, means connecting said rails together to form a unit therewith, said unit supporting said seat under the opening in said top, longitudinally extending support tracks secured to said frame on the sides thereof on the inner surfaces of same, the ends of said rails bein engaged with said tracks for movement therealong, a longitudinally extending lock arm fixedly secured to the front of said frame and extending horizontally rearwardly therefrom, and lock means carried by said unit for engagement with said lock arm to secure said unit in a given posi tion.

10. An infants table and seat comprising a frame, a top carried by said frame and being coextensive therewith, said top having an opencure said unit in a given position, and pivotal ing formed therein for receipt of an infant, a release means carried by said unit and extending seat, carriage means supporting said seat under down therefrom, said release means having a the opening in said top, and means removably finger engageable with said lock arm for lifting securing said top to said frame, said frame being 5 same and releasing said lock arm from said lock rabbeted on a plurality of sides to form an inner means.

ledge for support of said top thereon, said last 12. A table and seat as in claim 11 wherein said named means comprising pivotal bars on said release means is pivotally secured to one of said top engageable with slots formed in said frame. rails adjacent said lock means.

11. An infants table and seat comprising a 10 frame, a top carried by said frame, said top hav- ALFRED E. PULS. ing a hole formed therein for receipt of an infant EDWARD R. SWENSON. therein, a seat for an infant, a plurality of transversely extending rails extending completely References Cited in the fi O s P te t across said frame, means connecting said rails 15 UNITED STATES PATENTS together to form a unit therewith, longitudinally extending tracks carried by said frame on the Number Name Date sides thereof on the inner surfaces of same, the 23 1 g ends of said rails being engaged with and sup- 2397528 B d 0 J 4 ported by said tracks for movement therealong, 2o ran wen 19 4 a longitudinally extending lock arm fixedly seg Anderson 1947 cured to the front of said frame and extending 2 35? g gfg gg g rearwardly therefiom, lock means carried by said 2544080 Gustafson et a1. u Mar. 1951 unit for engagement with said lock arm to se- 

